My topic was “Deconstructing the Corporate Case for Fast Track – One Argument at a Time,” based on my recent post, Let’s Take Apart The Corporate Case For Fast Track Trade Authority. But I began by going over a few basics, like how our country has an enormous, humongous trade deficit, and what that does to jobs and the economy. Then I talked about what fast track means, and how it will be used to rig the approval process, essentially pre-approving the TPP. Finally, I talked about the problems with the corporate arguments in favor of fast track and TPP. Then there is a question and answer period.

I wrote the other day that we can imagine a trade agreement that is negotiated of, by and for We the People:

We don’t need more corporate-dominated, rigged trade agreements. Instead we need to fix the agreements we already have. To do this we need to reform the corporate-dominated process that has gotten us where we are today. We need to bring in all of the stakeholders in these agreements and put them at the negotiating table.

Imagine a trade agreement negotiation by representatives of consumer, labor, environmental, health, LGBT, democracy and other citizen “stakeholder” groups instead of solely by and for the giant multinational corporations. Imagine the changes in the way we can all live.

Imagine a trade agreement that prohibits employers from threatening to move a job out of the country to keep someone from getting a raise. Imagine a trade agreement in which the participants agree not to import any goods from countries that allow pollution of the environment. Imagine a trade agreement that outlaws the sale of goods made in conditions that are unsafe for workers. Imagine a trade agreement that sets minimum standards for product reliability and customer support. Imagine a trade agreement that sets a limit on the gap between CEOs and their employees.

Honestly, democratically and transparently negotiated trade agreements could bring about a new direction for the world’s economy and citizens.

About Dave Johnson

Dave has more than 20 years of technology industry experience. His earlier career included technical positions, including video game design at Atari and Imagic. He was a pioneer in design and development of productivity and educational applications of personal computers. More recently he helped co-found a company developing desktop systems to validate carbon trading in the US.